Chapter 177: Hush Money
"Then… does the girlfriend you just started dating… Alter… know about this?"
The sentence exploded beside Eikou's ear like a thunderbolt, making him jolt in shock.
Damn it, when did Jeanne find out?!
Logically, Jeanne Alter definitely knew — or at least would have guessed.
After all, last night he had explained it very clearly to Jeanne Alter, so that wasn't the issue.
Meaning, Eikou wasn't worried that Jeanne would run off to tell Jeanne Alter he was dating another girl.
But...
What if Jeanne told Baobhan Sith?
His relationship with Baobhan Sith wasn't even considered officially started yet; they were still far away from the stage where he needed to "confess everything honestly."
If at this exact moment she suddenly heard the line: "Eikou has already started dating another girl," then with Baobhan Sith's prideful nature, how could she possibly endure such humiliation? Her route would definitely explode on the spot!
"..."
Just imagining it made cold sweat slide down Eikou's back.
Absolutely, absolutely must find a way to shut Jeanne up!
His brain started running at full speed.
Tell the truth directly? Or try to talk his way out of it?
No… caught in the act like this, what kind of excuse would even sound believable?
Maybe there was a way, but Eikou clearly wasn't the type with a smooth tongue.
However...
"!"
His eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had discovered the key point.
If Jeanne hadn't exposed him immediately, that meant the situation could still be salvaged!
He shouldn't rush to say anything yet—first he should listen to what she wanted to say, then find an opportunity to negotiate…
Eikou thought so to himself.
"If they find out your secret, you might be in real trouble, little brother."
Jeanne whispered softly at his ear, sounding like she was whispering to a lover,
"If they knew that the boyfriend they're dating is actually playing around with multiple girls at once… wouldn't they feel heartbroken..."
Exposed so bluntly, Eikou's face flushed red. He lowered his head, unable to say a single word.
Jeanne's slender, pale, ice-cold fingers gently traced along his body, as though she were conquering territory inch by inch, probing gently, and caressing him with a sweetness and tenderness that felt like an attack.
What kind of style is this? Why the hell am I the one embarrassed?!
This feels like I'm "a married woman who made a stupid mistake in her youth and is being blackmailed by some blond punk"!
Oh god, can you please give me some clarity for once?!
Do you want to expose me or threaten me? Just pick one and say it clearly already!
"But—"
Jeanne's long, thick eyelashes curved beautifully, like two crescent moons.
"You look so troubled like this… so I won't tell them."
"...Huh?"
"Umu, you didn't mishear."
Jeanne gently pulled him into her embrace, like an older sister petting her little brother's hair,
"How could I go around telling other people your private matters? You don't have to worry about that~"
"Umm..."
Eikou froze for a moment, and immediately understood what was about to happen next.
If obsessive girls had any strengths, it was that they wouldn't take the initiative to hurt him, nor would they want to. They didn't even think about using something like this to threaten him.
Especially someone like Jeanne — even if she was drowning in love to the point of losing her sanity, she still wouldn't stoop to doing something dirty like that.
But because of that… it became even more troublesome...
"Even though I'm not planning to use this matter as a condition to negotiate..."
The smile on Jeanne's lips quickly faded, replaced by an expression of longing and sorrow, her arms wrapping around him even tighter and tighter.
"But I'm really sad… you hid from me that you were secretly dating Alter, and today you even came to be with another girl. You clearly desire so much… so why didn't you come to find me instead..."
"S–sorry..." Eikou answered awkwardly.
His intuition told him Jeanne was about to get to the real point.
"No need to apologize,"
She gently tucked her hair behind her ear, letting out a soft sigh full of helplessness yet also expectation,
"But I also want to be compensated like they were… I want you to heal me a little too. And last time, you even agreed to go on a date with Marie..."
As expected, she came for that!
It didn't look like blackmail, but this kind of sincere confession mixed with moral pressure was even scarier, forcing someone into a position where refusal was almost impossible. She and Marie truly were born to pressure people together!
So this counts as hush money, huh? Meaning she also wanted a full date with him, like a proper couple?
"..."
Eikou quietly sighed inside.
He should have realized it—precisely because he wasn't good at rejecting others, he always got dragged into ambiguous relationships and kept sinking deeper and deeper!
If it were just anyone, fine.But Jeanne and Jeanne Alter's relationship was not normal at all. Did he really want to end up in that awful kind of entanglement with both Jeannes?
He had just started dating Jeanne Alter, and then he turned around and went on a secret date with another Jeanne—the feeling of betrayal was way too strong.
But if he didn't appease this devoted, lovesick elder sister, who knew what kind of chaos she might cause next.
A rare date with Baobhan Sith was already hard enough to get.He absolutely didn't want any further trouble today.
"Ughh…"
Just thinking about that, Eikou clenched his teeth, showing clear determination.
Everything had to take second place to finishing today's date!
"No problem, I accept."
He nodded, "So how do you want me to compensate you?"
At this point, Eikou was no longer embarrassed. It wasn't the first time he had gone on a date with a girl, and even if the relationship was morally questionable, he didn't care anymore.
"How wonderful, little brother, you're really so softhearted!"
Jeanne's beautiful face bloomed into a thrilled smile, her fingertips tapping lightly like a girl lost in daydreams.
On that gentle, calm, big-sister-like face, usually filled with an intellectual elegance, a faint blush suddenly appeared.
It was an expression rare for the once rational, now deeply lovestruck, bold, and assertive big sister.
In simple terms — she was thinking of something very bold!
"…"
Eikou suddenly had a very bad feeling.
He saw Jeanne's violet-blue jewel-like eyes staring right at him, blazing with intensity.
"I want to do something that Alter hasn't done with you yet…"
Her face flushed red, her teeth gently biting her lip, clearly having made up her mind about some strange idea,
"You must have Disaster With Women because your desires aren't being fulfilled… so I have to help you release it properly. This is for your sake, and for the girls of Chaldea too — I have to take responsibility."
Eikou was still trying to figure out the meaning behind her words, still wondering, "What is there that Jeanne Alter hasn't done with me?", when Jeanne suddenly reached for his waist.
In Eikou's stunned expression and dropped jaw, Jeanne's flushed face slowly lowered as she knelt down…
What the hell!!What kind of "release" is this supposed to be?!
There was no trace of the Maiden of Orléans left—this was completely Jeanne d'Arc straight out of a Saint Shiro doujinshi!
...